New bathroom...what would you include?

[Arkay]

I'm having a new bathroom fitted and can't decide how many shower heads me and my 15 week old son will need! I'm having a separate shower in which I want to have a fixed shower head with everything hidden behind the wall except for the shower head and taps. Then I thought I would have one of the small shower head attachments on the bath taps for general hosing down of son as and when needed. But, I'm now questioning the wisdom of having a fixed shower head in the shower...how do I rinse/clean the shower after use, for example? I just love the sleekness of a fixed head...but am thinking I need one of those small shower heads in the shower cubicle too. But, if I have that, I think having the small shower head attachment on the bath seems a bit excessive...as there'll then be three shower heads in the bathroom and only two people using them...

At this point my son is still in the baby bath, and I'm not sure yet what keeping a toddler clean will involve so I'm wondering what other mums would include in their bathroom if they could start from scratch. :)

I'd never go for a fixed shower head, hose ones are so much more practical. My DCs are 7 and 9 and it makes it a lot easier for them being able to stand in a cubicle and use the hose in their hand, or have it adjusted right down to near their head height. I always unhook it and use it in my hand for rinsing my hair too. Then there's the cleaning.

Really decent lighting is important, ours is gloomy but it would be expensive to do anything about it. Big heated towel rail.

We have one in the shower and a bath one. Rarely use the shower one as we squeegee it clean.

I'd go for the three. We did in the last house. Used the one in the bath to rinse it out and the flexi one in the shower for the DC. Its good for doing feet etc after trips to the beach.

A fixed big rain shower one and a hose one for the parts the fixed can't reach.

Run plenty of storage cupboards around and along the sink to hide the pipework and cleaning stuff and cosmetics neatly...we wish we had done this.

DON'T bother with a Jacuzzi. Too much cleaning and flushing through.

Brilliant. Thanks all. Don't want to give up the fixed rain shower, so reckon I'll end up with all three. :)

Yes re storage Mynewmoniker! Lived in a tiny flat previously, so I think a lot about storage. :)

I love my new rain shower - it is fab. Yes, consider storage too!

We have bath with shower attachment, large shower with rain thingy, 2 sinks and loo. Make sure you think about ventilation too as our bathroom started peeling at one point due to inadequate ventilation.

Non slip shower tray ( toddlers go flying otherwise!)

Storage everywhere. We actually have a waterproof built in slim cupboard in shower ( kinda so it's flat to tiles and blends in). It's great as shower isn't cluttered with soaps/ shampoos/ etc etc

Somewhere high to lock and store bleach/ cleaners. Maybe just a built in tall cabinet with top part for this.

It's shower heads - not lear jets 3 isn't going to look mad or break the bank.

Brilliant thoughts, thanks.

Ventilation - two windows so should be fine.

Forevergreek, tell me more about your waterproof cupboard in the shower...sounds brilliant...

Aah, underfloor heating would be bliss...but alas, budget doesn't allow.

ChippingIn - I know, I know...I have a tendency to overthink things... :)

lots of storage! we have a v small bathroom but have a vanity under the sink and a set of drawers alongside.

somewhere lockable for bleach etc - we have a lockable sliding bath panel so all cleaning stuff kept under bath.

if you plan on more than one child, a double ended bath time easier.

non slippy flooring, something with more give in than ceramic tiles is a good idea for when the toddler does slip over.

a thermostat valve on the taps.

Its built into the wall, so I suppose only works if you are ripping out the whole bathroom. It's kind of like building a cupboard high up, then building the shower and tiling around it. The cupboard space is roughly that of a standard bathroom/ medicine cabinet.

aargh, that should say a double ended bath makes joint bathtimes easier.

Oh yes, shaver socket for electric toothbrush. Wouldn't like to do without that now.

Betty, I understood exactly. Ordered a double-ended bath already :) (although not for that reason)

forevergreek, aha...I was already thinking about something similar. Yep, whole bathroom's being ripped out and I have a quirkily angled wall in the bathroom which the builder has suggested levelling off where the shower enclosure will go but I was thinking about having tiled shelves put in there. Is there any kind of door on your cupboard or is it like open shelves in a recess? Would be a shame to have a sleek new bathroom cluttered up with plastic shampoo bottles. :)

There are doors, ( some kind of metal i think) that are tiled over so it blends in. Leave a small gap at bottom and any water can drain out.
They should be able to put something in that gap

Thanks forevergreek...will speak to my builder... :)

Extractor fan start when light switched on?

I also have a 'quiet' light on bathroom mirror that I can switch on instead of main light so as not to wake the kids with night time loo visits.

The underfloor heating system in my new bathroom wasn't that expensive in the scheme of things - about £100 for the mat, and £90 for the fancy pants control box.